News related to Sustainable Development & DRR

date: 6 July 2016 Source(s): United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (OCHA ROAP)

The newly-appointed United Nations Special Envoy on El Niño & Climate Ambassador Macharia Kamau issued a stark warning and challenge to the global community today in Rome, saying that a failure to adapt to the ‘new normal’ of increasing climate-linked emergencies such as El Niño would put global development targets at risk.

In recent years, high levels of deforestation, erosion, lack of waste management, and possibly the impacts of climate change have exacerbated the damage from torrential rains. With the support of the UNDP, a local initiative has helped market women minimize potential disasters in Waterloo through a simple but powerful tool - information sharing.

Better management and restoration of wetlands is an essential strategy to meet at least seven out of the seventeen Development Goals that were adopted in September 2015, states Wetlands International. The SDGs, Paris agreement, and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which all concluded last year, are potentially triggers for increased investment in improving the status and condition of wetlands, which are the fastest declining ecosystems in the world.

Robert Glasser, head of the UN Office for Disaster Reduction stresses the need for integrating disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation efforts, particularly given that 90 per cent of disasters are now climate-related. He outlines the current priorities are in the area of disaster risk reduction and discusses what motivated him to accept his current post.

The World Food Programme’s vision is to eradicate hunger by 2030, a bold aim in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs require us to leave nobody behind and to meet the needs of those furthest behind first. The Paris Agreement, reached at COP 21 in December, prioritizes those most vulnerable to climate change, including the 795 million hungry people in the world today...

With 70 public and private universities in Kenya, there is great potential to promote sustainability both through education and practice. 'Many Kenyan universities have already recognized sustainability demands and have responded in ways that are worth sharing. They are investing in greener campuses, greener curricula, and ways of engaging staff, students and community,' said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director...

'The ideas that I have heard in the summaries and in my conversations with you over the past few days have inspired me. The vision that you are projecting here can motivate a new generation of scientists, help public and private sector to set research priorities or signal opportunities for research and development of new technologies', said Dr. Robert Glasser, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for DRR in his closing statement at the UNISDR Science and Technology Conference...

“As you study them, you realize that although they’re presented as individual goals, they actually represent a total and completely intertwined lattice of action that is relevant for every human being everywhere.' The SDGs comprise everything from zero poverty, zero hunger, good health, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and affordable clean energy, to decent work and economic growth, innovation, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities, responsible consumption, climate action, unpolluted oceans and land, and partnerships to achieve the Goals...

'Not only are we falling short in being able to fund the big visible disasters, we're also falling short in meeting the ones that are below the radar screen, that still affect many tens of thousands of people,' says Head of the UNISDR, Robert Glasser. 'There are big opportunities - even low-cost opportunities - to address disaster risk, if people recognise the importance of it'...

The UK international development secretary Justine Greening admits that the government has no specific scheme to introduce a national action plan or taskforce to implement the goals. Instead the government will continue to focus on party manifesto commitments, in the belief that in some way this will contribute to achieving the SDGs, reports the Guardian...

Margareta Wahlström, who served for over seven years as head of UNISDR, said big changes could be made to limit the physical impacts of natural and manmade disasters like floods, earthquakes and industrial accidents. 'If we included risk as a factor into all the plans and visions we have for the future, we will gradually catch up - then we will be able to reduce risk,' she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview soon after leaving office...

Together, women add up to climate change adaptation and resilience. As such, women were discovered to be at the heart of sustainable development, recognizing that they are effective communicators of risk and drivers of change in their communities. Therefore, the inclusion of women in climate change adaptation and mitigation would also promote environmental consciousness, appreciation, knowledge and stewardship within them...

COP21 takes place less than 3 months after the adoption of the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the 17 goals which lay out the UN’s strategy to end poverty, improve health and education, and protect the planet by the year 2030. Goal 13 on Climate Action is particularly important for Somalia, which urgently needs responses to the socio-economic and environmental threats...

The UN scientific body has launched a new drive to develop earthquake early warning systems, marking a key contribution to implementing the Sendai Framework. 'Over the past 10 years, earthquakes were responsible for the highest number of deaths from disasters emanating from natural hazards. More focus is needed to mitigate earthquake disaster risk worldwide,' said Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO...

Cities in coastal areas are vulnerable to more frequent and intense cyclones and rising sea levels, while inland cities built along rivers are at greater risk of flooding. Yet, cities are also arguably better equipped than rural areas to respond to these threats and larger populations in urban centres may actually provide greater opportunities for adaptation...

Korea has a comprehensive plan to enhance disaster management in response to climate change. 'We can help you to build partnership in your cities with the private sector and the chamber of commerce. We can also to provide capacity building support to your cities to develop your local strategies and action plans for disaster risk management,' said the Head of the UNISDR Office for Northeast Asia and GETI, Mr Sanjaya Bhatia...

'To really achieve the goals of the post 2015 agendas, there is a need for strong will to holistically implement, monitor and report their provisions. Local communities are now entrusted to be more active in building up their resilience and parliamentarian have a decisive role to play establishing the link between national and local policies' says Ms. Margareta Wahlström, Head of the UNISDR...

'Resilience is centered on a culture of inclusiveness, cooperation, accountability and prevention' she concluded. 'The Sendai Framework, the Sustainable Development Goals and the new climate agreement are three instruments that enable us to pursue integrated approaches that draw from diverse disciplines and fields. We have all the instruments to succeed and to meet the 2030 goals,' said Ms. Margareta Wahlström, Head of the UNISDR...

date: 2 December 2015 Source(s): Save the Children International (SCI)

On the weekend of 28 and 29 November, hundreds of thousands of people marched around the world, showing the overwhelming public demand for urgent action on climate change. Now is the moment for millions of us to declare that we all share a vision of a better future and demand that our leaders put it into practice. A world free of poverty, inequalities and climate change is within our reach...

'You are here today to write the script for a new future,' Mr. Ban told around 150 world leaders attending the kick-off of the much-anticipated COP21 conference in Paris, France. 'A new agreement must also include a single transparent framework for measuring, monitoring and reporting progress. And countries with low capacity should receive flexibility and support'...

Climate change constitutes a significant threat to sustainable development and to the survival of humanity, writes Bishow Parajuli, UNDP Resident Representative in Zimbabwe. Floods, droughts and cyclones have caused more than US$ 1trillion in damages and affected over 4 billion people since 1990. Without addressing climate change, our determination to end poverty will remain just that: determination...

In this opinion piece, Colin MacQuistan, argues that a 'human rights centred agreement' at COP 21 will offer 'a holistic approach that makes the connections between the economic, social, cultural, ecological and political dimensions, and links what is being done to tackle climate change with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction'...

At a time when many economies are exhausting their natural resources and face constraints exacerbated by climate change, Morocco is setting an example by designing and embracing green growth strategies across sectors. The approach is in synch with the UN SDGs endorsed in September 2015. But Morocco’s commitment to green growth predates the SDGs and has been enshrined in Morocco’s constitution since 2011...

date: 4 November 2015 Source(s): Science and Development Network (SciDevNet)

'The recognition of disaster risk reduction as a central, cross-cutting issue for achieving sustainable development in the region aims to bring about a shift from response mechanisms to prevention and preparedness as investment in disaster risk reduction has proven to be cost effective,' Shamshad Akhtar, UN undersecretary general and ESCAP executive secretary said...

'The disaster risk maps shall provide us with increased knowledge and better understanding of disaster risk for better decision making and evidence based environmental planning in Ghana', said Mr. Dominic Sam, UNDP Country Director in a speech read on his behalf. 'The implementation of the key recommendations of the disaster risk assessment report will also increase the capacity of NADMO'...

As it began its discussion of sustainable development, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) emphasized that the need for an effective global response to climate change could not be overstated. Macroeconomic realities and environmental vulnerabilities were intertwined, the representative of Barbados, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), stated...

'Women’s participation in local institutions for governing natural resources is critical for sustainable land, forest and water management, as well as for building resilience and planning for climate change and adaptation strategies,' said UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. 'Addressing the adverse effects of climate change through climate-resilient agriculture strategies and natural resource management is increasingly important for securing rural women’s rights, empowerment, and well-being,' she added...

date: 10 October 2015 Source(s): Science and Development Network (SciDevNet)

Ilan Kelman, Institute for Global Health, University College London, examines the history, overlaps and conflicts between climate change, development and disasters in an article on SciDev.net. He writes that, there is no integration of global climate change, development and disaster policy, yet science says the problems, and ways to tackle them, are often interrelated. Kelman advocates for giving climate change policy a wider context, which, he concludes, could spur more action...

Groundswell International is to receive up to $1m to tackle food and nutrition insecurity caused by climate-driven environmental shocks and chronic stresses in the Sahel region of Africa. It aims to support millions of families living with tremendous vulnerability to improve their soil fertility, food production, and resilience to climate change...

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda complemented Pakistan's 'Vision 2025' which was reflective of the country's development needs and priorities. The key development priorities, include disaster risk-reduction and governance and the need to make these available to a larger proportion of the population, reports Business Recorder...

date: 27 September 2015 Source(s): Rockefeller Foundation, the; United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States of America - gov

'In order to achieve our 2030 Global Goals, we must build resilient societies that can mitigate the impacts of climate change, and other inevitable challenges that threaten to erode development gains,' said Thomas Staal, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID. 'These eight winners will bring us closer to achieving these goals by empowering the poorest communities on earth with the resources, tools and know-how to mitigate risks and foster growth.'...

The Group of 77 is the largest intergovernmental organisation for developing countries at the United Nations. Thailand will push forward new development goals during it tenure, said a senior Thai diplomat. With the chairmanship. 'We have experience and good practice in promoting sustainable development [including] disaster risk reduction.'….

'The SDGs acknowledge that more frequent and intense natural disasters threaten to reverse much of the development progress made in recent decades. After Typhoon Haiyan in 2014, civil society organisations in the Philippines realized their enormous responsibility in helping communities reduce their vulnerability to future natural disasters', writes Suzanne Nazal from ADB...

Asian Development Bank's President Takehiko Nakao today announced that ADB will double its annual climate financing to $6 billion by 2020, up from the current $3 billion. $4 billion will be dedicated to mitigation through scaling up support for energy efficiency, sustainable transport and building smart cities. $2 billion will be for adaptation through more resilient infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and better preparation for climate-related disasters...

A lack of investment will derail efforts to ensure Africa's farmers can feed future generations in the face of climate change, a report has warned according to BBC. 'When given the right options and incentives, farmers can drive sustainable agricultural development that builds resilience to disasters' Dr Ousmane Badiane from the IFPR told BBC...

By 2050, two out of three people will live in cities, with 90% of that growth in Asia and Africa. In our cities today, more than 800 million people live in slums. Cities are increasingly exposed to the consequences of climate change. At the same time, innovation in scientific research and technological capabilities – part of Goal 9 – continues to provide a growing set of tools with which to achieve the SDGs...

Pope Francis delivered a wide-ranging address before world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly today, urging global action to protect the environment and end the suffering of 'vast ranks of the excluded,' saying that 'human beings take precedence over partisan interests'...

Reflecting on the UN Sustainable Development Summit, Japan's prime minister writes of solving challenges faced by countries and people across the globe in CNN. Highlighting Japan's approach to development with a focus on human security, support for self help, and sustainable growth, he asserts Japan belief in emphasizing the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction. 'We therefore prioritize investment in disaster prevention and post-disaster improvements under a policy of Build Back Better (BBB)'...

Local authorities from Brazil, Denmark, Jamaica, Senegal, South Africa and the US, among others, underscore central links between cities and sustainable development. Recalling Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami ten years ago, New Orleans and Banda Aceh have recovered significantly since then. Today, both hope to share their experiences with the world, especially in light of climate change making such events more frequent and SDG 11’s emphasis on disaster risk reduction...

Amina J. Mohammed, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, described the agreement, 'It's universal so it applies to everyone,' she explained. 'Clearly anything that happens anywhere in this world has that fallout in many other places – from the global financial crisis to conflict and migration, we feel it everywhere – to natural disasters and climate change'...

Bruce Campbell in an opinion piece on Huffington Post writes, 'The SDGs are complex because the challenges facing our planet (feeding 9.6 billion people from shrinking resources in a climate-extreme world for a start) are equally complicated... Millions of farmers are already seeing the benefits from crop insurance but only 20 per cent of farmers in India use crop insurance'...

The linkages between the various processes are clear, said Margareta Wahlström, the head of UNISDR.
Understanding and reducing risk must be in the DNA of sustainable development, otherwise we won’t achieve it,' she said. 'The sustainable development goals are ambitious, and to meet them, we must understand and act on risks and threats to those ambitions'...

Gavin Wilson, in an opinion piece on Huffington Post, answers the question on what it will take to implement to Global Goals. 'Essentially, knowledge, financing and partnership. The first exists in abundance,' he writes. 'The problem is how to finance these solutions and how to come together in partnership to implement them speedily and effectively when and where they are needed'...

Goal #15 is at the heart of the post-2015 agenda. It addresses land degradation and desertification, which are some of the most important global environmental challenges (as stated in the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification). Land degradation currently affects more than 1 billion people worldwide, threatening food and water security and forcing hundreds of thousands to leave their homes...

On 23 September, the President of the United States hosted Pope Francis at the White House where they discussed their shared values and commitments on a wide range of issues, one of which was the promotion of sustainable development. 'FEMA will work with faith-based organizations to make disaster preparedness information more accessible and increase preparedness planning for houses of worship'...

This week in New York, the United Nations will agree a new roadmap for humanity’s development. The fact that a consensus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been agreed in the first place is in itself impressive; that they are so long on ambition and comprehensiveness is even more so. But are they achievable? We asked World Economic Forum experts for their take...

Peter Head, Founder and CEO The Ecological Sequestration Trust, writes in a blog post that 'Next week is a very exciting and momentous one, because it seems the World will sign up to a ‘course correction’ by agreeing the 17 SDG’s, which include the integration of risk and resilience planning, a focus on urban-rural systems and tackling climate change. I was very much involved in writing and fighting for urban Goal 11 and ensuring it included resilience and cultural heritage protection'...